I'm neat two weeks off zopiclone I stopped taking them and went cold turkey. I am now taking five mgs of diazeoam every other day to help with withdrawals from the zopiclone. I dint want to go bk on the zopiclone so need an idiot proof explanation on what I should be doing. I know what I'm doing isn't recommended so need a way of helping the withdrawal symptoms I'm getting from the zopiclone.
All advice gratefully accepted.
Congratulations it's the best thing you could ever do. You are taking not much diazepam and it won't be a problem cutting down when you're ready. Zopiclone is a really bad medication and I now understand Drs reluctance to prescribe. I'm almost 2 weeks off and Am so proud. Keep it up, you'll get there.
How did you get of your zopiclone and how long was u on them for
From my doctor, was on them for 3 months. The first dr I saw made me promise to take one every other night and only for a week, she warned me I'd be hooked if I didn't follow advice and said I would have a lot of big problems. I chose to go hunting for a dr who disagreed and said they weren't addictive. I really knew the truth but chose the wrong path. Two weeks free and so glad I didn't go longer than I did.
Hi Mary are you tapering off the zopiclone using diazepsm or did you go cold turkey? Great to hear your off the evil zopiclone.
I'm over two weeks free of it. Taking valium as little as I can to curb the zopiclone withdrawals. Don't think I'm doing it the right way. Why I put up this thread to find people to help me.
Sounds as though you're doing well, keep following your own instincts, only take help from professionals, go to a doctor you can trust and tell him everything. They will help you.
I went to see doctor yesterday evening we've agreed a five mg daily dose if duazeoam then to taper it down after next week to four mgs then after two weeks go diwn to three etc etc. Hope that works for me.
Thanks Mary
Believe me you have every right to feel proud, this will work and your dr has a duty to care for you. Don't take advice from anybody but a professional, everyone's body is different and what works for one won't for another so we have to be careful with forums like this. Your health, physical and mental is the most important thing in your life, bar loved ones. Good luck but I don't think you'll need it.
I took a five mg diazeoam this morning but I really don't want to become addicted to diazepam. I am on two other medications that I plan to withdraw from eventually.
I've been told that I'm not doing the diazepam tapering the right way but I'm so worried about becoming addicted to the diazepam that I don't know if I can take five mgs every day for another week and a bit then to cut down after that and continue for another six weeks. I'm feeling a bit railroaded.
Caroline
Your post regarding your dr advice for diazepam doses sounds really sensible to me and I don't think you'll have the same problems as you did with zopiclone, have faith it'll be fine.
I'm sure I sent you a PM as to the right way to taper using diazepam?
You're not doing it the right way, honey.
Take 10mg every night for a fortnight.
Then take 8mg every night for a fortnight
Then take 6mg every night for a fortnight
Then take 4mg every night for a fortnight
Finally, take 2 mg every night for a fortnight and keep some 2mg handy for possibly needing them every other day until feeling better.
Tapering is very proscribed now - there are bad ways and there is the method I've just described, my darling. You're taking 5mg every other day? Where did that come from?
You need lots of 2mg diazepam for this because you'll need accurate 8, 6, 4 and 2 mg doses. Good luck! xxx Tess
Seriously, the whole point of the long-sounding taper is to stop yourself getting addicted to diazepam. Please try what I said - my specialist addiction doctor is getting me off massive doses of zopiclone very easily with this method
Honestly, it won't, Mary. You have to keep a constant level of diazepam in your body, whilst every two weeks taking 2mg less, for the taper to work.
I'm basically describing the Ashton Method. It works.
I was taking 28 tablets of zopiclone a night plus 100 mg of diazepam.
I sought help (thank goodness) and was sent to this specialist.
I'm now only on 20 mg diazepam a night and nothing else. I'm going down 2mg a fortnight till I get to zero.
By the way, I'm a nurse, too, so that kind of makes it worse, to have got myself into such a ridiculously high tolerance. But I'm also human, so I did.
Please, Caroline - your doctor is well-meaning but incorrect.
love Tess
Tess, everybody's path is different and it's great you have a plan to geo off medication. I know only too well we are all human, I'm just saying be strong and follow advice from a professional, which is what you have done. I hope it all works out OK for all of us. I do have serious health issues not mental as yet unresolved but I feel stronger to deal with diagnosis now, thanks to communicating with you all.